


it's the gasps and the sighs (that say more about what's inside you)

by handschuhmaus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Racing, Gen, I actually do like him! but he is Not Appearing in This Fic, Palpatine is not evil (but more or less neutral) AU, Self-Indulgent, Slavery on Tatooine, Trans Anakin Skywalker, only partially because he accomplishes even less on Tatooine than in canon, this doesn't make Qui-Gon look good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 01:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14345193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handschuhmaus/pseuds/handschuhmaus
Summary: "We used to talk about girls who play guitars" more like guys with fancy cars...(the title's a quote from the Maxïmo Park song "Girls Who Play Guitars")This was inspired by a few other fics that were good but had plot points not quite satisfying for me, in one way or another.





	it's the gasps and the sighs (that say more about what's inside you)

**Author's Note:**

> "We used to talk about girls who play guitars" more like guys with fancy cars... 
> 
> (the title's a quote from the Maxïmo Park song "Girls Who Play Guitars")
> 
> ~~This was inspired by a few other fics that were good but had plot points not quite satisfying for me, in one way or another.~~

There's an itch that plagues Anakin Skywalker. It's not a physical urge to scratch his skin, just... an impulse that there must be something grander and greater in the wider galaxy. That isn't him going with his handlers (and at least they aren't masters) home to sleep and riding yet another race tomorrow or the next week, hoping Watto will let him see Shmi again soon...

And it's not easy, per se, to be anonymous, when you're Anakin Skywalker. But sometimes he manages. Now, for instance, sipping something cold and sour and sweet and salty and strong, in a booth tucked away in the cantina corner.

"I've heard you're Anakin Skywalker," says a cultured voice, all the same. They're human, relatively short, hair decidedly gray. Decidedly offworlder but still sensible robe type of garment. Sort of adorable, in an old person sort of way, but sounding like anything but a calm, wise, considered elder. And probably not terribly old, actually.

"What do you want?" Anakin asks. He is trying to be serious, but he's getting a bit tipsy, and it's hard to get the tone right.

"I was thinking of trying to recruit you for off-planet racing," they say, and proffer a hand.

"They think my best days are over," he notes, in a more even voice.

"I wouldn't be so certain of that. I'm Palpatine."

 _But who the kriff is that?_ Anakin thinks. It's also fairly easy to be a scarcely contained self destructive mess, when you grew up a slave and aren't any more but you're still the family of one and you're still marked in the eyes of most and it's not much different having handlers than masters. He doesn't say any of that, of course.

"I, ah," Palpatine smiles, friendly and open and just slightly mischievous, "believe my planet, my people, owe you something."

"I haven't been off-planet," he has to point out. Couldn't be owed things by distant planets, was barely owed his continued life and career by Tatooine.

"Well. It's my understanding that you saved our queen--at least, our queen then. There was some sort of incident with a Jedi and a broken ship?"

Anakin couldn't help grimacing. Oh, he remembered. Qui-Gon Jinn was probably a decent man, mostly. It still didn't help any case for him that he had been constrained then by a fear of Hutts, by his snobbish student, and by the people in charge of the Jedi. He had gotten the best hospitality the Skywalkers had to offer, and he hadn't managed to give them anything tangible in return. Perhaps it was winning his race that had propelled "the little Tatooine girl" ( _no, kriff no, he didn't like the reminder that he hadn't been...born right_ ) into Anakin Skywalker's Racing Career, but Jinn hadn't actually helped with it. "It wasn't especially heroic," he protests vaguely, figuring that sounded acceptable.

"But--I have personal reasons as well for wishing to find you a career in the wider galaxy."

"Won't do it," he says flatly. "My mother is still a slave."

Palpatine frowns. "But you ride--and win--a great many races each year, and have been ever since then. You should have sufficient income--"

Anakin rolled his eyes. "My handlers. I'm not allowed to use the money for personal purposes."

"My dear boy!" Palpatine exclaims vehemently. "Getting your mother free is hardly a mere personal purpose."

"You're an offworlder," Anakin says, in the most world-weary voice possible. And he adds, dully, "I don't think you understand any more than your Jedi how things work here."

Palpatine raises one eyebrow, studies him for a moment, then turns on heel and walks to the bar.

 _Good riddance._ Anakin thinks impulsively, pointedly trying to ignore the thought that maybe he could use help, maybe he shouldn't be so proud that he rejects someone because the matter stings, Shmi is still property. And _he_ is still property, even if he is now more like a prized racing animal, paraded around at its owners' discretion but saved carefully for the big days, than a draftbeast. Did he not want more?

What if he did suck it up, apologize, beg to hear more? Would Palpatine still be interested, after insult and rejection?


End file.
